Here鈥檚 a collection curated by The Associated Press鈥� entertainment journalists of what鈥檚 arriving on TV, streaming services and music and video game platforms this week.
NEW MOVIES TO STREAM
鈥� In her young, flourishing career, Ana de Armas has already made three films with Chris Evans. Following 鈥淜nives Out鈥� and 鈥淭he Gray Man鈥� 鈥� both of which positioned them as foes, either in family squabbles or assassin melees 鈥� they鈥檙e more closely aligned in In the Apple TV+ release, premiering Friday, April 21, 鈥淩ocketman鈥� director Dexter Fletcher pairs them in a film that fuses rom-com with action thriller. After a promising first date between Cole (Evans) and Sadie (de Armas), Cole pursues the unreachable Sadie and becomes ensnarled in an international spy adventure.
鈥� arrives Tuesday on the Criterion Channel. For years, Iranian director Jafar Panahi has been finding intrepid ways to make films that cleverly reflect Iranian society despite government control. In 鈥淣o Bears,鈥� Panahi 鈥� who has made acclaimed movies from within his apartment or the confines of a car 鈥� again plays a fictionalized version of himself, this time while he endeavors to remotely direct a film. When his collaborators鈥� unwittingly capture a moment some locals don鈥檛 want documented, scrutiny and pressure falls on Panahi. Panahi was in prison in Tehran. After declaring a hunger strike,
鈥� Davina Pardo and Leah Wolchok鈥檚 lively bio-doc profiles an author who鈥檚 had a lasting impact on generations of young readers. The film, which debuts Friday, April 21, on Prime Video, mixes interviews with Blume, now 85, and her many fans, ranging from kids to Lena Dunham and Molly Ringwald. The documentary, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, debuts just as a big-screen adaptation of one of Blume鈥檚 most beloved books, hits theaters.
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NEW MUSIC TO STREAM
鈥� Guitar virtuosos Rodrigo y Gabriela 鈥� Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero 鈥� return with a new album, 鈥淚n Between Thoughts鈥� A New World,鈥� out Friday, April 21. It鈥檚 the pair鈥檚 first collection since their which meld the power of thrash metal with fiery Spanish melodies. Self-produced by Rodrigo y Gabriela at their studio in Ixtapa, Mexico, the new album sees the duo 鈥渆xpanding their traditional approach to include inventive electronic and orchestral elements.鈥� Superb single even has a little funk and danceability.
鈥� U.K. group Everything But the Girl will make a comeback this spring with their first studio album since 1999, when 鈥淭he Matrix鈥� came out. The duo of Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt 鈥� known for the dreamy hit 鈥� will release 鈥淔use鈥� on Friday, April 21. Work on the 10-track project began in the spring of 2021 at the couple鈥檚 home. 鈥淥f course, we were aware of the pressures of such a long-awaited comeback, so we tried to begin instead in a spirit of open-minded playfulness, uncertain of the direction, receptive to invention,鈥� Thorn says. First single is an electronic flashback that feels modern filled with thick slabs of synth.
鈥� Have you been praying for some old-school punk and garage rock? Then say 鈥淎men,鈥� the new album from The Heavy, their first in four years. The band 鈥� known for the song 鈥� return with their humor intact as one of the singles shows 鈥� a song about guitarist Dan Taylor鈥檚 new kitten. 鈥淲e got a new cat, a female Burmese. She鈥檚 the cutest thing you鈥檝e ever seen, but an absolute enemy of every living thing in the garden,鈥� he explains. The 10 new songs also include and
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NEW TELEVISION TO STREAM
鈥� Galey Alix used to work on Wall Street in finance and dabble in interior design and renovations on the side. She would post about her projects on social media and amassed millions of followers. She鈥檚 now doing design full-time and has her own HGTV show, Alix chooses a social follower and takes a weekend to renovate their home and provide positive change. 鈥淗ome in a Heartbeat鈥� debuts Wednesday, April 19.
鈥� Netflix already used the title 鈥淲arrior Nun鈥� so in Peacock鈥檚 new series about a nun out for vengeance they went with The quirky, sci-fi show stars Betty Gilpin (鈥淣urse Jackie,鈥� 鈥淕LOW鈥�) as Simone, a nun determined to destroy a powerful artificial intelligence, known as the innocuous-sounding Mrs. Davis. The algorithm, is viewed by society as a whole as a way technology makes life easier but Simone sees it as a big problem infringing on people鈥檚 individual freedoms. Jake McDorman and Margo Martindale also co-star. 鈥淢rs. Davis鈥� is co-created by Damon Lindelof (鈥淟ost鈥�, 鈥淭he Watchmen.鈥�) 鈥淢rs. Davis鈥� premieres Thursday, April 20, with the first four episodes on Peacock.
鈥� Keri Russell returns to TV in the Netflix series as Kate Wyler, a career envoy with a passion for Mideast affairs who randomly gets reassigned as the new U.S. ambassador in the UK. It鈥檚 a major change for Wyler because diplomacy in the UK is much lower stakes than her previous post. She鈥檚 placed in an estate that resembles Downton Abbey, complete with butlers and maids, and is now expected to be more of a social figurehead. The job ends up being more complicated than expected, and Kate must establish relationships and trust with those around her, plus navigate the red tape and bureaucracy that comes with a government job. Another daily obstacle she must navigate is her her husband Hal, (Rufus Sewell) who was also a career diplomat (until he was fired). 鈥淭he Diplomat鈥� drops its eight-episode season on Thursday, April 20.
鈥� Alicia Rancilio
NEW VIDEO GAMES TO PLAY
鈥� Ten years ago, it seemed like every kid I knew was playing Minecraft. It鈥檚 still hugely popular, but some of those kids have graduated to more complex games. Enter , in which developer Mojang turns its blocky sandbox into a battleground. The idyllic Overworld has been invaded by nasty piglins from the hellish Nether. Your mission is to unite the assorted Overworld mobs of golems, zombies, skeletons and such while building defensive structures and attacking enemy outposts. There鈥檚 also a competitive mode in which you and your friends can try to destroy each other鈥檚 fortresses. Dig in Tuesday, April 18, on Xbox X/S/One, PlayStation 5/4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
鈥� The online battle arena League of Legends is an esports phenomenon, but it鈥檚 somewhat daunting for newcomers. So publisher Riot Games has been expanding the franchise with the well-received Netflix series 鈥淎rcane鈥� as well as a line of single-player games. takes place in a kingdom where sorcery has been banned; the protagonist, Sylas, is a mage who is determined to liberate his spell-wielding cohorts. It鈥檚 a lively-looking 2D role-playing adventure that could be just the thing to ease you into the sprawling LoL universe. Mageseeker arrives Tuesday, April 18, on Xbox X/S/One, PlayStation 5/4, Nintendo Switch and PC.
鈥� is set in Los Angeles 鈥� which, as of the last time I checked, is not an island. If that sort of deliberate knuckleheadedness amuses you, this long-awaited sequel may be your cup of blood. The zombie infection that plagued a tropical paradise in the 2011 original has landed stateside, but you can build an arsenal, from baseball bats to machine guns, to fend off the undead hordes. Publisher Deep Silver promises loads of gory, squishy ultraviolence, and who wouldn鈥檛 want some brainless fun when you鈥檙e about to get your brains eaten? The mayhem begins Friday, April 21, on Xbox X/S/One, PlayStation 5/4 and PC.
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